


Coloring With a Broken Crayon

by silversky27



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, M/M, Sorry Makoto bby, Soulmate AU, side MakoRin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-05-15 02:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5768602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silversky27/pseuds/silversky27
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka had a feeling that most soulmate meetings didn’t go like his did. Yeah, there was the sudden introduction of color in his world when he met his soulmate’s eyes and the occasional transferal of sensation, but he was pretty sure that normally there wasn’t so much anger or frustration.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coloring With a Broken Crayon

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to remember canon so hard for this.

                Haruka had a feeling that most soulmate meetings didn’t go like his did. Yeah, there was the sudden introduction of color in his world when he met his soulmate’s eyes and the occasional transferal of sensation, but he was pretty sure that normally there wasn’t so much anger or frustration.

                He had met Sousuke Yamazaki at a swim meet during middle school. Meeting eyes with him had taken Haruka’s breath away for a split second before he saw the distaste in Sousuke’s eyes. They didn’t talk until after the meet when Sousuke had dragged him into the locker room. He shoved a letter at him, from Rin, and Haru couldn’t meet his eyes after feeling the anger and frustration rolling of off him.

                “Read it.” Sousuke spat out before turning and leaving. Haruka didn’t bother going after him. When Makoto found him he didn’t tell him he had found his soulmate. Why would he? His soulmate hated him.

~

                Despite the fact that Haruka didn’t ever really think of his soulmate, he took the appearance of color into his world to his full advantage. He had a sketchbook, full of drawings with none being black and white, though it stayed stuck on a shelf when others were around. He didn’t want to be questioned about his soulmate and why they weren’t there. He didn’t need the reminder that his “perfect match” wanted nothing to do with him.

                He managed to keep it hidden for almost three years. Makoto had come over after school and since they didn’t have club activities anymore, he had insisted they study. Haruka had gone to get tea and on his return, had found Makoto flipping through his colored sketch book. Even a person who couldn’t see color would be able to tell by the varying gray shades that the book was full of color. Haruka froze, instantly regretting not telling Makoto about the soulmate thing earlier. Makoto stared at the page for a few seconds longer before looking up at Haru.

                “It’s pretty.” Makoto said quietly. “The colors are really nice.” This threw Haruka for a loop. Makoto could see color?

                “You can see them?”

                “Yeah.”

                “Since when?”

                “Our last year of elementary.” That was longer than Haruka. He couldn’t even be mad. He hadn’t told Makoto either. He walked over to where Makoto sitting on the floor and sat down next to him, leaning on him. Makoto glanced down at Haru. “How long for you?”

                “Our first year of middle.” Haruka said before laughing bitterly. “Sousuke Yamazaki. The one person who absolutely hated me the moment he met me.” Makoto didn’t move for a moment, before frowning.

                “Well, mine left the country soon after we met.”

                “Rin?” Haruka was surprised. Neither Makoto nor Rin had shown any indication that they were soulmates. “ _It’s my fault”_ Haruka thought. Rin had obsessed with swimming with him, and Makoto was too self-sacrificing to change anything if he thought they were happy. Haruka realized that saying that other’s name was a terrible mistake. Makoto’s face instantly scrunched up as he sucked in a shuddering breath.

                “I.. I just don’t know what to do. I should be happy for him. He’s going after his dreams, and I’m just…” Makoto trailed off, burying his face in Haruka’s chest as Haruka wrapped his arms around him. He rubbed Makoto’s back as the taller boy curled into him. He didn’t really care that his own soulmate didn’t care for him, but it murdered him that Makoto was in pain.  

                “Hey. We’ll always have each other.” Haru whispered. Makoto laughed quietly.

                “Yeah.”

~

                During their second year of high school Rin returned, and Haruka could have killed him. Now that he knew that Rin was Makoto’s soulmate, the fact that Rin focused solely on swimming against him pissed Haru off and what pissed him off even more was the fact that Makoto acted like nothing was wrong. The rest of their year passed in a flurry. Some point after their impromptu relay, Rin had apologized to Makoto. While Haruka would have still been pissed, Makoto was happy, so Haruka was a well.

                 Their third year brought the return of Sousuke Yamazaki. Haruka had to laugh. Nothing had changed between them besides that now Sousuke was tall enough to now actually intimidate him. He tried to avoid Sousuke. He never felt the negative waves of emotion through their soul link when they weren’t around each other.

~

                 After they graduated, they oddly hung out more. Rin and Makoto would drag the two on outings which were honestly just dates with two awkward third wheels.

                At least it was awkward for Sousuke. He had a feeling that the reason he and Haruka were on these dates anyways was because of Rin’s incurable romanticism. Sousuke could have done without. It did give him time to actually pay attention to Haruka. What he had noticed is he melancholic look Haruka got whenever he looked at Rin and Makoto together. Sousuke honestly couldn’t stand it. He knew that the look was entirely his fault and it pissed him off. When dropping the two Iwatobian’s off, Sousuke decided that he needed to do something. Anything.

                “Nana- Haruka. I need to talk with you.” Sousuke said as Haruka started ascend the shrine steps. He heard Makoto from behind take a step towards him before Haruka nodded at him, then looked over Sousuke at Makoto and nodded again. Sousuke almost laughed at how it was like Haruka calling off his guardian. But, Haruka would talk to him and he didn’t want to waste time. Haruka turned and continued up the steps, Sousuke following closely behind.

                When they had walked in, Haruka had sat him down at his table, before walking off to the kitchen to retrieve tea. Sousuke glanced around Haruka’s living space, noticing how impersonal the entire place seemed. He snapped back to attention when a cup was placed in front of him. Haruka sat across from him, raising a questioning eyebrow. Sousuke took a deep breath, steeling himself.

                “I want to apologize. For everything.” Haruka’s eyes grew wide, and Sousuke hurried to continue. “For being a shitty soulmate. For being too focused on hating you to actually bother to learn anything about you. I don’t expect you to forgive me any time soon, but I wanted you to know that I really am sorry.”

                “Really?” Haruka suddenly spoke, and Sousuke flinched at the uncharacteristic emotion suddenly flowing from the other male. “Don’t do this. Don’t fucking do this to me right now.” He had started to cry.

                “Haru-“

                “No! I accepted it. I’m not going to have a normal relationship with my soul mate. It’s been seven years, you asshole, and you’ve hated me for all of them.” Sousuke couldn’t defend himself. Haruka had stood up, and was now standing in front of him. Sousuke stood up as well as Haruka suddenly hit him in the chest. It was a weak hit, and Sousuke let him continue.

                “I hate you. I hate you so much.” Haruka said quietly, pressing his face into Sousuke’s chest, and Sousuke wrapped his arms around him. Sousuke gently pulled the both of them so that they were sitting on the floor. Haruka sniffled a few more times before huffing and speaking again.

                “Are we really going to do this?”

                “I really want to.” Sousuke said quietly. “But only if you want to, and if you can forgive me.”

                “I want to too.” Haruka said, before curling his face into Sousuke’s chest. Sousuke smiled softly. He had been able to see color since he was eleven, but this was this was the first time he felt like his life was truly full of color.

**Author's Note:**

> Edit 10/31/17: This fic has been up for a while, but I literally just realized that most people don't pronounce "Crayon" the way I do. So for me, it sounds like "crown" creating a play on words with a Broken Crown. So yeah. The title did actually have something to it  ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Find me at theglowqueen.tumblr.com


End file.
